Just been and looked at a job which had aluminium cables supplying the house. But it also had copper cables where spurs etc had been added at later dates to the original installation. Is this ok? Should it be noted on the MWC? It also does not have RCD protection, which i've told the owner that it is recommended incase he uses one of the sockets for outside, but he's adamant that he's got petrol lawnmower so won't use any power outside.
Aluminium Cables
- Thread starter New2Game
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Aluminium cable in the installation? or supplying the installation?
sound like it'd be pretty old. Can you recommend he have a PIR done?
sound like it'd be pretty old. Can you recommend he have a PIR done?
Yea - they are not aluminium, they are tinned copper.
Will be imperial sizes, but use an older version of the regs to determine the current carrying capacity etc.
1969 isn't that old - it will be PVC, but is of the age where the old green gunk could appear when they tried using a different plastiser.
Look at the sockets, and you will probably see 7 strands per core for L and N, and 3 for the earth?
Lights will have 3 strands in a core for L and N.
Aluminium is only available in larger sizes of cable.
Will be imperial sizes, but use an older version of the regs to determine the current carrying capacity etc.
1969 isn't that old - it will be PVC, but is of the age where the old green gunk could appear when they tried using a different plastiser.
Look at the sockets, and you will probably see 7 strands per core for L and N, and 3 for the earth?
Lights will have 3 strands in a core for L and N.
Aluminium is only available in larger sizes of cable.
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Lectrician said:
I have seen ally cables in a very early 70's property, and not in the larger sizes you speak of.
Although I cannot find smaller csa's in my 14th.....
They were deffo ally, tinned with copper. and deffo twin & earth 4-6mm2 ish.
Anyway, as far as I'm aware, things to note with aluminimum cables:
1) different tables for current carrying capacity etc
2) aluminmum compatable connections used (possiblely with special paste)
3) terminals for copper and aluminimum should not take both types at the same time!
IIRC the problem with aluminim apart from breaking more easily when connections tightened is that it forms a thin layer of aluminimum oxide when exposed to air and this gives it a high resistance termination which heats up
1) different tables for current carrying capacity etc
2) aluminmum compatable connections used (possiblely with special paste)
3) terminals for copper and aluminimum should not take both types at the same time!
IIRC the problem with aluminim apart from breaking more easily when connections tightened is that it forms a thin layer of aluminimum oxide when exposed to air and this gives it a high resistance termination which heats up
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